


Dragon Legend

by achieve_hams



Series: 2017 Holiday Gifts [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Dragon Ryan, Immortal Merlin, Jack/Geoff side relationship, M/M, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Slight Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 14:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13079190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achieve_hams/pseuds/achieve_hams
Summary: They both were lonely. Both were hurt by humans. So Gavin thinks it's totally justifiable to climb up some damn mountains to see if the dragon was actually real.





	Dragon Legend

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holiday's @hillflirty!!
> 
> Prompt: Freewood with dragon!ryan

 Over a thousand years later, Ryan still had nightmares. Apparently, the memory of a dragon was amazing because he could still picture Jacky and Jeff’s faces. Could still hear their screams.

Ryan growled as he felt the urge to shift. Maybe a little dragon time would help him clear his head, he thought as he walked out in the darkness of the mountains.

-

Ever since Gavin’s twenty-third birthday, he’s had nightmares. They were always about the same things: him outliving every other mortal and being left as the only human and Jack and Geoff dying. The second one has been a more recent development within the last seven years, but they’ve both become second nature to him. Go to bed, have nightmares about things that will definitely happen someday, ignore all those thoughts in an unhealthy way, then go back to sleep.

See, Gavin used to be an apprentice for a local potions maker. Even though the whole town had shunned his master at the time, Gavin was fascinated. He didn’t realize how bad the man was until he had Gavin drink a potion under the guise of it being a newer batch of regeneration potion that he was testing. When Gavin felt sharp pains in his body and his head, he thought the batch had just gone wrong, everyone made a mistake. He continued to live with his master until he up and left Gavin one day, only a note saying he hoped Gavin has a nice life.

Gavin didn’t notice something was wrong until he saw everyone around him start to age while he still kept his young, boyish looks. Gavin had ripped through all the notes his master had left behind, trying to find that recipe from the years previous. He almost threw up when he realized what his former-master had done. He had made Gavin immortal, with a touch of invincibility thrown in there just for fun.

Gavin has never stayed in a town for more than fifteen years in the past sixty. He’s been too scared that someone would catch on about how he wasn’t ageing. Which was why befriending Jack and Geoff was the worst and best mistake of his life. Gavin was scared to get attached to them, but it had been sixty years since he had people that he would equate to family in his life. About three years ago, Gavin had let what happened to him when he twenty-three slip.

Geoff and Jack were a couple that always sounded older than they actually were. They had immediately moved Gavin in after that night and said, they would do whatever they needed to help him and promised him he wouldn’t be alone as long as they lived. The last part was what troubled Gavin. He had been avoiding that situation for years, then he willing let himself walk into it.

Gavin sighed and looked back down at the book he was reading. It was about the legend of the ruthless mountain dragon. No one believed it, but Gavin couldn’t help but feel a strong connection with the dragon. Cursed into a life of solitude because of the actions of others. Sure, they both didn’t have to feel lonely, but it was better that way.

Gavin particularly liked the way this book talked about the dragon. He had read many history books that talked about how the dragon was barbarous, even after villagers tried to communicate with it. This book, however, talked as though the dragon was a misunderstood human. As someone who was so hurt by the people they thought they could trust, that they had no choice but to become cruel.

Gavin looked out the window of Geoff’s small library. He could see the mountains perfectly. The mountains the dragon supposedly lived in. Gavin wondered if the legend was actually real. If there was someone out there that felt the same things Gavin did. Someone that needed a friend.

Gavin clutched the book. There’s was nothing stopping him from heading up the mountain right now and either proving or disproving the mystery. The thing was, he didn’t know which one he preferred. If there was nothing in the mountain, then Gavin was truly alone. If there was…then someone experienced the same things Gavin did. Gavin would never wish that one anybody.

“Hey, Gav,” Jack’s cheery voiced cut through Gavin’s thoughts. Gavin let go of his tight grip on the book and forced himself to look over at Jack. He was putting some papers down on the desk that was tucked in the corner of the room.

“Hey Jack,” Gavin said.

“Whatcha reading?” Jack asked coming over to stand in front of him and tried to peek at the cover.

“Oh,” Gavin jolted. “Just one of Geoff’s books about the dragon legend.” He quickly closed it and put it down.

“Huh, I don’t remember Geoff ever getting this one,” Jack said as he picked up the book.

“Must be an old one,” Gavin suggested.

“Yeah,” Jack said flipping through it curiously before shrugging and putting it back down. “Seems in the realm of your interests,”

“Yeah,” Gavin agreed. “You think it’s real?”

Jack started a Gavin for a long second.

“Gav,” Jack sighed. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“What?” Gavin said. “I’m totally not thinking about going up the mountains to see if there’s someone who knows exactly what I’m going through up there.” He said bitterly.

“Just cause you can’t die easily doesn’t mean you don’t feel pain or cant die,” Jack argued.

“I’m going up the mountains,” Gavin said, surprising even himself.

“You’re what?” Geoff asked from the doorway.

“I’m going up the mountains,” Gavin said more firmly. “To see if the dragon legend is real. I’ll be back in a few days, tops.” He promised to try to get them to not be worried.

“Let him go,” Geoff said to jack. Gavin perked up. “We can’t stop him from being an idiot. He’ll sneak out anyway,” he said harshly.

Gavin huffed and stomped out of the room. He felt childish but he was ninety-three damn years old and he’ll go up a damn mountain if he wants to. He quickly grabbed a few things, shoving them in his bag along with some food and a knife. He made his way to the door going downstairs and slammed it behind him, effectively cutting off the sound of Jack and Geoff’s arguing. He made his way through the closed shop that they ran and slipped out the front of the shop. He looked at the mountain range, how hard could it possibly be to climb some mountains?

-

It was hard. It was damn hard. He made a lot of progress, opting to go further into the mountain ranges instead of straight up first. He felt like he had been walking for ages, a constant up and down through the thick and cold forest.

He plopped down against a tree and sighed. He leaned his head back to rest against the tree and closed his. Just a little rest before continuing through the night. He had a lot of ground to cover. Just a quick nap.

Gavin woke up to growling and had the immediate thought, “oh shit.” He didn’t know there were wolves living this far into the mountains, so he slowly reached for his knife, hoping not to alert the wolves. He heard the telltale crunch of snow under a paw and he whipped around into a fighting position, his knife at the ready.

He stopped dead when he realized the growling didn’t belong to a wolf. It belonged to something much bigger. He stumbled backwards as he caught sight to the huge face looking him in the eyes. Most of the creature’s body was hidden in the darkness and the trees. Gavin gasped as he saw the shadow of wings moving in the moonlight.

“You’re the dragon,” he whispered dumbly.

The dragon seemed to growl more intensely, and Gavin quickly made the dumb decision to drop his knife. Gavin could see his own shaky breath and the steady puffs from the dragon’s nose. They intermingled as the rose into the sky.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to see if the legend was true and talk, I guess,” Gavin said as he backed away from the knife with his hands up, hoping to dissuade the dragon from killing him.

The growling slowly tapered off until it was silent, save for the dragon’s breathing. Gavin’s heart pounded in his ears, he surely wouldn’t survive if the dragon attacked. Maybe that was a good thing, he thought.

Gavin watched as the dragon slowly backed away from him into the trees until Gavin couldn’t see anything but the glowing of its eyes. Then the eyes got smaller, shaping into a more human looking shape and size. They were still glowing intensely as they become eye level with Gavin. He tried to calm his breathing down, figuring he was in the clear now.

Then the most gorgeous man Gavin had ever seen walked out of the darkness. And then Gavin fainted.

-

Ryan frowned as he stared at the human sleeping in his bed. The human said he wanted to talk. That’s what they all had said. Ryan turned back to the fire he had made. The human was shivering like small cub when Ryan brought him back to his cave. Ryan told himself he didn’t care, that he made the fire because he was going to be up all night on watch. He didn’t care about the human. He cared about the other humans that were inevitably out in the mountains with him.

He ignored the flutter in his heart at the small possibility that maybe the human was just here to talk.

-

Next time Gavin woke up, he was on something much softer than a tree or even the ground. He shot up when the memories of last night came back to him. He whipped around to see he was in a cave, alone save for the cow roaming outside the entrance. There was a small fire in the middle of everything. Everything being random items, food, and books strew all about the cave.

“So the dragon is messy,” Gavin half laughed in disbelief. He put his head in his hands trying to make sense of how he wasn’t dead. He walked right into the dragon’s territory and almost attacked him. Maybe Jack and Geoff were right.

“Yeah, well normally I don’t get many visitors to comment on the state of my home.” Someone said.

Gavin looked up abruptly to see the man – the dragon – from last night. He was carrying some more kindling and trailing a bag behind him.

“I’m sorry,” Gavin apologized, still half in disbelief.

“So you want to talk,” the dragon said. He threw the wood into the fire making it immediately intensify. “Talk,” he demanded as he crossed his arms.

“What’s your name?” Gavin asked as he slowly rose from the bed.

“Why are you here?” He demanded again.

“I read a book,” Gavin paused, “and it made me realize how lonely you must be up here.”

The dragon didn’t say anything.

“You don’t like humans. They killed your friends, so now you have no one,” Gavin guessed.

“You climbed a mountain because you were sympathetic,” the dragon growled. His eyes flashed, telling Gavin that he didn’t believe him.

“No, I can up the mountain, alone,” he emphasized, “because I felt empathetic. And –” Gavin paused, “and because I’m just like you.”

Gavin looked up to look the dragon in the eyes, willing him to see Gavin was telling the truth.

“You’re a poor orphan who climbed the mountain to see a ruthless dragon because you thought I would be the only person who understood you?” The dragon guessed and laughed cruelly.

“No,” Gavin said, “Well yes I’m an orphan but, I’m about ninety-three years old.”

The dragon stopped laughing and looked at Gavin in confusion. Gavin laughed bitterly at his look.

“I trusted someone who used me as an experiment, then took off to let me deal with the consequences. I drank a potion,” Gavin whispered, “and now I’m immortal and halfway to invincible. Only two people know, but they don’t understand. No one does. I guess I was being childish but it thought if the dragon legend was real, then they would understand what it feels like to be alone and not want to trust people after they screwed them over.”

Gavin huffed out a laugh again, trying not to cry. Being sober makes spilling feelings a lot harder.

“Ryan,” the dragon said.

“Huh,” Gavin said in confusion.

“My name is Ryan Haywood,” Ryan smiled tentatively.

Gavin smiled back. That told Gavin everything he needed to know.

-

It had been a week since Ryan had met Gavin. It had been an amazing week, one of the best in Ryan’s long life. Either Ryan wasn’t remembering his nightmares, or having Gavin in his bed was magically making this disappear.

They spent the first day talking about everything under the sun before they both crawled into Ryan’s bed after an awkward conversation, both exhausted but content as Ryan wrapped his arms around Gavin hesitantly. It was like something snapped into place with both of them. Ryan reveled in the time they spent with each other. He was able to spread his wings and not be afraid as Gavin looked on with excitement and wonder. Ryan was able to tease Gavin and be okay with him teasing Ryan back. Ryan was able to be close to someone for the first time in over a thousand years.

Ryan had to push down the doubts but it became easier. Especially when Gavin laughed at his misspoken words then immediately cuddled into his side and demanded a story as they watched the fire dance. The week felt like a year and a second simultaneously. Too short and too long, definitely felt too short to Ryan when Gavin sat up and gasped at the end of Ryan’s story about Jacky and Jeff.

“Jack and Geoff,” he gasped. “Shit!” Gavin squawked and scrambled up from the bed. He almost tripped over blanket as he rushed to get up.

“What?” Ryan asked, worried.

“Jack and Geoff,” he stressed. “I told them I would be home in a few days and it's been eight!”

“What,” Ryan said again. Jack and Geoff?

“Not your jack and Geoff, well they do kinda sound the same, but, what?” Gavin asked as he confused himself. Ryan snorted. “Anyway, I have my own Jack and Geoff, and I promised I would be home so,”

“You have to go,” Ryan finished. He knew it was too good to last.

“Come with me!” Gavin shouted quickly as he saw the hurt look on his face.

“What?” Ryan asked again.

“Come we me,” Gavin said softly. “Things have changed, the city has grown so much, no one would look twice at you. And jack and Geoff would more than happy to meet you. Well,” he laughed, “they’ll probably have a heart attack first but they’re kind people.”

“Why,” Ryan said.

“You’re an idiot,” Gavin laughed. He walked forwards and cupped Ryan’s face in his hands before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

Ryan’s eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in as Gavin pulled away. Gavin giggled as Ryan made a distressed noise.

“James Ryan Haywood, this has been the best week of my life, and for the first time in these last miserable sixty years I felt like I wasn’t alone.”

“I regret telling you my first name,” Ryan mumbled before looking up into Gavin’s eyes, “I’ve trusted people blindly in the past and that was one of the worst mistakes of my life. And now with you, I want to give you everything but I’m still afraid.” He confessed.

“It’s okay,” Gavin said. “I want you to come with me but it's your choice. But either one you choose doesn’t mean that you have to stay in the city or that ill never come back again.”

Ryan stared into Gavin’s eyes as they were both silent. He reached up and pulled Gavin back down into his lap, then pulled him in for a kiss.

“Gavin,” Ryan said as he pulled away. “Will you be mine?”

“Yes,” Gavin breathed.

“Perfect,” Ryan growled and pulled them both back to lay down on the bed and Gavin’s lips touched his again.

-

“You’re okay,” Gavin whispered as he squeezed Ryan’s hand. Ryan had been twitchy all morning and he got jumpier as they made their way through town. Ryan almost had a panic attack at the sight of another person and Gavin had to pull them behind a building when Ryan’s eyes flashed, to calm him down. Gavin promised him they could turn around, but Ryan just held onto Gavin’s hand tighter and pulled them forward saying he could do this.

Gavin still worried as they had to get closer to others to make it back to the shop and home but Ryan started to relax a little when Gavin whispered to him.

“Is that it?” Ryan asked hesitantly as the shop sign came into view. It read: Achievement Goods.

“Yep,” Gavin answered and pulled Ryan behind him to get to the storefront. “You ready?” He asked Ryan before he opened the door.

“Yeah,” Ryan nodded. Gavin nodded back and pulled the door open.

“GAVIN!” Michael yelled from the counter. Gavin could feel Ryan jump and tense, so he rubbed to thumb across his knuckles to reassure him.

“Hi, Michael,” Gavin said hesitantly.

“You son of a bitch,” Michael said, “You can’t just lea out of nowhere! Jack and Geoff have been worrying and I’ve had to deal with the store all by myself because Jeremy was on vacation!”

“Well, you see,” Gavin laughed nervously.

“Who’s this?” Michael asked, looking Ryan up and down judgmentally.

“Ryan,” he answered. “I’m Gavin’s boyfriend.”

Michael just raised an eyebrow and Gavin tensed again.

“You left me alone to get some dick,” Michael snorted and turned away, “Have fun with Jack and Geoff,” he said as Gavin let out a squawk.

Ryan giggled quietly and Gavin sent him a fake glare to which Ryan just smiled innocently back. Gavin could still see he was shaking a little, but he looked better than a few hours ago.

“Come on,” he said and pulled Ryan towards the stairs. Michael rolled his eyes when Gavin sent him an apologetic look before heading up.

Gavin took his hand out of Ryan for a second to pull out his key and unlock the door. He quickly slipped it back, realizing he was just as nervous.

“Michael?” Jack's voice came from the kitchen. Gavin held his breath as the door closed behind them with a click and Jack rounded the corner to the hallway.

Jack abruptly stopped when he caught sight of Gavin standing there, hand in hand with Ryan.

“Hey Jack,” Gavin said shakily. “I went up the mountain.”

-

The man – Gavin had said Jack – just stared at both of them incredulously before rushing forward. Ryan tensed, ready to be attacked. He was so stupid for letting his guard down, how was he going to protect Gavin? But then –

But then Jack was pulling Gavin into a hug. Gavin let go of his hand to wrap his arms around Jack and for the first time, Ryan felt relaxed without having to cling to Gavin.

“You idiot,” Jack muttered into Gavin’s hair.

“Idiot who was right,” Gavin shot back.

Jack pulled back and ruffled Gavin’s hair before turning to Ryan and sticking out his hand.

“I’m trying very hard to wrap my head around this, but my name’s Jack,” he said.

“R-Ryan,” Ryan responded and hesitantly took Jack’s hand to shake it. Ryan felt himself relaxing even more. Jack reminded Ryan so much of his Jacky. They both had the same eyes that were filled with kindness.

“Who was at the door jack?” Another voiced asked. Ryan looked over Gavin’s head to see a man with a litany of tattoos up and down his arms. He was rubbing his eyes like he just woke and then he squinted at the three of them before his eyes widened as he saw Gavin.

“Gavin,” he whispered, “and,” he trailed off looking at Ryan much like Michael had.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Jack suggested. They all nodded. Gavin put his hand on the back of Ryan’s back to lead him forward.

Ryan and Gavin smiled at each other before walking forward, arms wrapped around each other.

-

Geoff sighed. He was kicked out of the kitchen an hour ago because Jack claimed he was going to ruin his appetite. Geoff complained that he was playing favorites because Michael had snuck another cookie and he was still allowed. Geoff continued to complain loudly, as everyone laughed at him, all the way to his library where he plopped down on the chair facing the window.

He looked up at the mountains and smiled. He knew Ryan and Gavin were already down (or at least they better be, if they want to make it on time for dinner) but every other day it was nice to look up a know they were up there.

Meeting Ryan was hard for Geoff at first. Gavin was like a little brother to him and ever since he told them about his old master, Geoff felt a strong urge to protect him. He always knew in the back of his head that someday he wouldn’t be able to, so meeting Ryan was also easy. Ryan could easily hurt Gavin, but at the same time, Gavin was so happy.

Geoff would be a liar to say he didn’t pick a fight with Ryan the day after they met when Jack and Gav were out and had to have Michael run from upstairs to tear them apart. Geoff immediately felt horrible when he saw how scared Ryan was and the look Gavin gave Geoff when he came home and saw Ryan curled in the corner. It wasn’t one of Geoff’s best days.

Geoff felt even more horrible when Ryan had opened up to them and told them the story of his own family, Jacky and Jeff. Gavin and Geoff had had a conversation that night and said Ryan sees them in Jack and Geoff. From then on, Jack and Geoff did everything to make sure Gavin and Ryan were never hurt ever again.

Jack had gone up the mountains to build them a house when he found out they had planned on living in Ryan’s cave when they weren’t in the city. Geoff has laughed at Jack determined face and Ryan’s shocked one before Jack had said he was helping to and then Gavin was the one laughing.

Gavin and Ryan spent half their time in the mountains and half down in the city. Ryan had taken over helping out at Achievement Goods since they were opening up another shop on the other side of town and needed more workers. Geoff felt like everyone that worked for him was his family: Michael, Jeremy, Trevor, Matt, Lindsay, Mica, Alfredo, Steffie, Gavin, Ryan.

Geoff side glanced the presents he got for Ryan and Gavin that he would give them after everyone had left. Gavin’s gift was the book that drove him to go up the mountain on a whim and Ryan’s gift was a plaque with the Ramsey-Pattillo family crest on it. They had given one to everyone who they considered family, and after a year Geoff felt like Ryan had surpassed the title of a family member. It helped that the others liked him too, sometimes over Gavin (Geoff could hear one of Gavin’s squawks in his head). Ryan didn’t tell them he was a dragon and they all just accepted him wanting to live outside the city, without questions.

Geoff heard the front door opening and everyone start shouting happily. Geoff leaned back and sighed again, content to sit for a few more minutes.

“Hey,” Ryan said. Geoff looked over to see him hovering in the doorway, his cheeks were flushed red from what Geoff assumed was teasing from the others and happiness. Maybe even Jack pinches thrown in.

“Come on in,” Geoff smiled.

“Jack just wanted me to tell you that you’re welcome back in the kitchen?” Ryan said it like a question and Geoff laughed.

“Sit with me for a second,” Geoff found himself saying. It wouldn’t hurt to give Ryan his gift now.

Ryan obediently sat down as Geoff reached over to grab the gift that was horribly wrapped. He held it out to Ryan with no words. Ryan hesitantly took it, looking up at Geoff with curiosity.

“What,” he started.

“First gift of the holiday,” Geoff shrugged then urged him to get on with it.

Ryan laughed and tore open the paper before shaking off the top of the box. He gasped as he pushed away the paper that was holding the plaque inside.

“It’s your family crest,” he said, Gavin must have explained it to him, “Why…”

“Because you’re my family,” Geoff explained. Ryan looked up at Geoff, his eyes flashing and tears almost spilling over. Geoff learned that Ryan’s eyes flashed when he was feeling intense emotion, so Geoff got a little choked up himself.

Ryan gently put down the box before he threw himself at Geoff and hugging him. Geoff laughed wetly and patted Ryan’s back, holding him tight.

“Are you stealing my boyfriend, Geoffrey,” Gavin teased from the doorway.

“We’re eloping,” Ryan choked out at the same time Geoff said “yes.”

“What?” Gavin laughed before looking concerned when he saw the tears in both their eyes when they pulled back from their hug. “Everything okay?”

“We’re good,” Ryan assured. Gavin looked at them curiously before shaking his head and walking over to kiss Ryan gently. Geoff couldn’t even make a joke about them being gross, he was so happy to have these wonderful people in his family.

“HEY, LOSERS, YOU’RE MISSING CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER!” Michael yelled.

They all laughed. Yeah, Geoff was happy Gavin trekked up that damn mountain to find a dragon legend. Happy indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Some things were left intentionally vague, there may be a follow up to this if I ever have the time and patience.  
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> tumblr: achieve-hams


End file.
